PackinMama

As far as some kind of desicant goes, what do you guys use? I was thinking about getting one of those Remington Golden Rod things for it......or possibly the rechargable little unit that you can plug in and recharge every so often. I have a small Sentry Fire and Waterproof media rated safe in my mothers basement that I just keep backup picture files and dvd's, along with some pictures and papers. It's a finished and heated basement, and I keep small desicant packs in there. My mother also runs a dehumidifier in the basement. I STILL find mold in there and have to clean it out every few months. I keep it over there because I wanted backups of my pictures and home movies somewhere besides here. That way, if my place ever burns, I have all my pictures and movies somewhere else. I've lost all that before and I don't ever want it to happen again.

Thanks for the input guys! I suppose I'll store my ammo elsewhere and keep the guns in the safe unloaded. I guess I could have an ammo can sitting nearby with loaded mags for the AR-15 in case of an emergency. I always have a loaded carry gun on me and a loaded shotgun (or two) around the house ready to go that won't be kept in the safe. I've heard of some people using those dry bags or silicone gun socks on the guns that stay in the safe.....that it will help with water damage in the event of a fire. That's the bad thing about this particular Liberty model......it's fireproof but not waterproof. Sigsbird said: Hey Sigsbird, how much did they charge you to put the electronic keypad in your safe? Was it Liberty that did it, or the dealer that you bought the safe from?

I would definitely consider other places to buy a safe......unfortunately, I don't have an extra $700-$1000 in cash, and Lowes is my only option right now since I've consolidated my debt and gotten rid of all my other credit cards. Since some of you are saying that storing ammo in the safe is not a good idea, is keeping loaded guns in the safe not good either?

I'm likin' the bigger one (20 cu. ft.) over the smaller (12 cu. ft.) mainly for two reason. #1, it's fireproof. #2, it's bigger. I don't have a huge gun collection, but there are other things I'd like to keep in there along with my guns. Like picture albums, keepsakes, important papers and such. (I had a fire in '95 and lost every single picture I'd ever taken, plus the ones my parents had given me, along with my baby book, original birth certificate with my footprints, and many more irreplacable sentimental stuff.) I'm also afraid that the smaller one could be carried out by two strong men in a break-in. I don't think two guys could manage almost 500 lbs. with the bigger safe very well. Plus, if I ever have enough money to buy some more guns.....I'll have room! What do you guys think about storing ammo with your guns in the same safe? Is that a good idea or no?

Yeah, I can imagine how hard it would be for a couple men to handle.....it weighs almost 500 lbs.! Do you have the exact same one? If so, do you like it? How's the locking mechanism and the overall quality?

I'm thinking of getting this Liberty Centurion safe that Lowe's sells. I'm leaning toward this one mainly because I have a Lowes credit card and I can get 6 months no interest and I have a coupon for 10% off. Plus they'll deliver it for $60 extra. Anyone have one of these? If so, what do you think of it?

Where can you get 600, 800, and 1000 grit sandpaper? I looked at Lowes and the finest I could find was like 200.

Hmmm. I'll have to check the Taurus TCP out! Thanks!

I know what you mean Jack. I'm STILL loving mine! I got another for my Glock 23. The 23 fit in the one I had for my 27 (a "Crescent Moon"), but the end of the barrel stuck down past the leather a little.....enough to bother me when I was driving or bending. I wound up getting the G23 it's own "Full Moon" and it's much more comfy. I can carry the 27 in the 23 holster....just not the other way around. Just for the sake of comparison and to see what all the fuss was about, I ordered a Minotaur M-Tac in the neutral cant version for my G23. My conclusion is that they are WAY over rated! Comparing the M-Tac to my Kholster, this is what I found: The M-Tac is not as secure and tends to raise up on my belt when I bend over (Kholster's steel clips are much better than M-TAC's kydex ones); The M-Tac isn't even close to being as comfortable as the Kholster; M-TAC's do not have the depth and cant range of the Kholster; M-TAC's kydex mold does not fit as nicely as Kholster's and is more difficult to unholster and reholster; M-TAC's are double the cost of a Kholster. IMO, Kholster is STILL the best value in IWB holsters and wins hands down over M-TAC! I've never tried a Supertuck, so I can't compare those to the Kholster. Before I bought the M-TAC, I was debating between that and the Supertuck. The main thing that swayed me toward the M-TAC is that I like to carry with a neutral cant at 1-2 o'clock, and Minotaur offers a Neutral Cant version of their M-TAC. Crossbreed specifically states that they don't recommend the Supertuck if you want a neutral cant. Now, if Jimmy would just start making a Kholster for an EMP I'd be happy!

I'd been considering a PF9 for a BUG or lightweight summer carry gun. I handled them and tried it in my front pocket......still too large for front pocket carry in regular jeans. Cargo pants? Maybe. I've tried carrying my Taurus 85 Ultra-Lite snubby in my front pocket, but it's way too big to do that comfortably. Without a holster, the handle barely stays concealed in my jeans pocket. I tried a leather pocket holster and it just made it stick out even more. I've come to the conclusion that if I want to be able to pocket carry, I need a Ruger LCP or a KelTec P3AT. I've been hearing the LCP's are more accurate than the P3AT's, plus they look nicer, so I'll probably end up with an LCP eventually.

I like the Ruger LCP too. I really forgot to mention it in my first post. It's basically the same as the Kel Tec P3-AT, just a little nicer fit and finish. I mentioned the pink one kind of in jest. It could appeal to some ladies I guess.....but I personally would never own a pink gun.

I think she'd probably love the Kel Tecs....especially if she has small hands. From what I hear, they have a perfect grip and trigger reach for females with small hands. The Ruger LCP is similar to the Kel Tec P3-AT. Here's a pic of a pink Ruger LCP: http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/4200/lcpy.jpg

The recoil of a self defense carry weapon shouldn't be a HUGE factor for anyone if they just plan on using the gun for self defense (vs. going to the range and shooting for fun). A very small & light gun would be much easier for her to conceal, and it would also help to get her to carry on her person rather than in her purse. In your situation, with everything you've told us about your wife, I would recommend a Kel-Tec P3-AT (.380) or a P-32 (.32). Both of those are good, reliable guns that are super small and light. As far as recoil goes with either model, I don't think she'd particularly enjoy shooting a whole box of 50 at the range....but believe me, if she ever had to use it for self defense, her pumping adrenaline would make the recoil completely unnoticable. If the recoil really bothers her that much with the .380 or .32, which it really shouldn't, she could always go with a .22 mag like a Beretta Bobcat. A .22 mag in the pocket is much better than a .45 in the purse anyday! If she could go with something a little bit larger, I'd go with the Kel-Tec PF-9 (9mm). It's the lightest and thinnest 9mm made today. Basically, I'd get her the largest caliber that she can and will carry on her person. If that's a .22 mag, so be it. If that's a .32 or .380, all the better. If it's a 9mm, thats awesome! A gun in the purse might help if you have time to get to it......but more often than not, it's useless in a real world self defense scenario. Good luck! Btw, they make pink Kel Tec P3-AT's now!

Hi Angel! It's good to see that you're still around! I'm wanting to get a pocket carry BUG like a Kel-Tec .380, Ruger LCP, or Sig 238. I really would prefer the Kel-Tec PF9 because of the larger caliber (and it's much easier to find 9mm ammo than .380), but I've found that even though they're really thin, they're still a bit large to comfortably conceal in my front jeans pocket. I wish .380 ammo would become easier to find.....that would help my decision. I've tried to pocket carry an ultra-lite .38 snubbie, but they're also too big to conceal in my jeans (for me anyway).

Yes, Esmeralda makes the most beautiful grips I've ever seen!

Well....the trade didn't go down today. The guy was supposed to call me after lunchtime and I've still not heard from him. I tried to call him and got his voicemail. I talked to him for about 45 minutes last night and he totally seemed legit.....seems like a great guy actually. He told me that I could take the gun and shoot it after we trade and if anything was wrong with it, he'd swap the rifle back with me for it. I'm hoping something just came up and he'll call me tonight or tomorrow. I figure if it doesn't happen, it just wasn't meant to be. We'll see what happens and I'll keep you posted.

GKar, If I remember correctly, I think they are the 1911 THIN compact grips....but they have to be modified slightly to fit the EMP's. The ambi safety cut has to be made on the inside of one grip and I believe there might be a couple other small differences as well. Esmeralda would be the best person to ask about that though. When you have a four year old that is constantly talking to you or getting into something, your memory goes FAST! When she made mine, she actually made two sets of the same design I asked for and then let me choose which ones I liked the best. It was a hard decision! The main difference was the grain and color of the cocobolo wood. She put the set I didn't take for sale on her website....I don't know if they're still there or not. I do know that she had made a few sets of grips for EMP's before I asked her to do mine. She mentioned that the first set she had done was for a lady also, and that lady actually sent her the stock grips so that she could get the exact pattern from those.

Karl, that's good news! I knew if you stuck with it, the EMP would smooth itself out. Isn't it amazing how accurate that little gun is?!

I'm supposed to be trading my Marlin 336 rifle for a Kahr PM40 today.....if all goes well. I am wondering who has (or had) one and what you think about it? This one is used, 300 rds. down the tube, and supposedly no problems at all with it. I have been reading some horror stories about these......along with a lot of praise as well. I've read that some of the earlier models had some major problems and you either got a good one or a bad one. The one I'm trading for was made in 2004. I'm wondering if that's considered an "early" model or not? So if you have one of these, or if you've had one in the past, tell me your experience with them. If you know the year it was made, that would be helpful as well! Here's a list I found of the serial number ranges and dates of manufacture so you can tell when yours was made. This is for the Kahr 40's only: 40 S&W SN's BB0xxx - MK40 Elite98 - Sep 2003 BB0303 - MK40 Elite98 - Date unknown DB04XX - K40 - Feb 1996 matte stainless DB11xx - K40 - Jun 1997 DF04xx - K40 - 1998 DF08xx - K40 - 1998 DF17xx - K40 - date unknown DF28xx - K40 - Aug 1998 DF33xx - K40 - 1998 DF50xx - K40 - Jul 2004 DJ02xx - K40 - 1998 DJ0xxx - K40 Elite 98 - Jun 2003 DK0015 - K40 Covert (stainless) - Date unknown DK090xx - K40 (Steel Covert 1 of 75) according to Kahr produced April 1999 DK11xx - K40 - date unknown DK14xx - K40 Covert - Jan 2001 (disc., scarce; poster's example RIP) DL03xx - K40 - Apr 1999 FD267x - CW40 - Jan 2009 FD34xx -MK40 - date unknown HA0xxx - MK40 - May 1999 HA16xx - MK40 - date unknown ('99 manual) HA25xx - MK40 - Dec 2003 (Stainless Steel) HA26xx - MK40 - Jun 2004 HA27xx - MK40 - Jan 2005 HB01xx - MK40Elite03 - Oct 2007 SD02xx - CW45 - Jan 2008, TA00xx - T40 - Oct 2003 TA015x - T40 - Oct 2004 WA00xx - PM40 - Jul 2004 WA02xx - PM40 - Aug 2003 WA05xx - PM40 - date unknown WA1xxx - PM40 - Apr 2004 WA12xx - PM40 - Date unknown WA20xx - PM40 - Apr 2004 WA21xx - PM40 - Feb 2004 WA303x - PM40 - Jun 2004 WA34xx - PM40 - Feb 2005 WA44xx - PM40 - Dec 2005 (Black Diamond) WA64xx - PM40 - Feb 2006 WA65xx - PM40 - Mar 2006 WA72xx - PM40 - Oct 2006 WB07xx - PM40 - Sep 2007 ZA00xx - P40 - Date unknown ZA17xx - P40 Covert - Jun 2001 ZA25xx - P40 - Jun 2003 ZA38xx - P40 - Dec 2004 ZA74xx - P40 - May 2006 (black slide) ZA82XX - CW40 - Sep 2006 ZA89xx - P40 - Nov 2006 ZA96xx - P40 - Dec 2006 ZB28xx - CW40 - Date unknown ZB31xx - CW40 - May 2007 ZC000x - P40 Covert - Dec 2002 ZC06xx - P40 Covert - Sep 2003 ZC08xx - P40 Covert - Jul 2003

Awesome! Tell her I said Congrats!!! She should sign up and join us in our discussions here. I recently started a "What do you Carry and How?" thread here in the women's section that she might be interested in. It can be very helpful, encouraging, and fun to see how the other ladies are doing it!

It's definitely a small world! Good luck Karl and don't give up! Keep it well oiled during break in with Rem Oil. That will help it loosen up faster (that's what my gun dealer told me at least). I sprayed a little Rem Oil down the slide grooves every three mags that I fired, plus ran a bore snake down the barrel.

Hey, that's an awesome review on the EMP isn't it?!!! Darn nice pictures too I think! As a matter of fact, that looks just like my EMP before I put my Esmeralda grips on it. Oh.....wait a minute.......that IS my EMP!!! I wrote that review for Christian Gun Owners. ROFL That's hilarious that you found my review and posted the link! I wrote that before I ever tried using hollow points through it. It does function perfectly with the FMJ's, just like I said in the review. (Btw, if anyone would like to submit a gun review (pictures and range report a plus!) for consideration of being put on Christian Gun Owners, just go to www.christiangunowners.org and scroll over "Gun Reviews" then click on "Submit a Review." So far, my EMP review is the only one on there.) KarlS, congrats on your EMP purchase! It's a fine gun and everything will smoothe out after a couple hundred rounds or so. The accuracy of that little 3" bull barrel is utterly amazing! You know that target that I posted a picture of in my review? That EMP can do that at 10 yards with cheap FMJ's all day long! It's a great gun and you'll love it! I would recommend getting a set of custom grips for it. Then you can put the originals up so they stay new and use it with the custom set. I LOVE my grips that were made by "Esmeralda!" She does some incredible stuff with exotic woods!!! Check out this older post for some closeup pictures: http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/firearm-accessories/20958-custom-grips-my-emp-esmeralda.html I have complete confidence that I can get my EMP to run HP's reliably. I just haven't had the time to polish the feed ramp and try some different ammo. I also want to get some Milspec oil for the feed ramp....I think that'll help too. In the meantime, I'm just carrying it with FMJ's. I have absolutely no regrets with this gun. My Glock is a useful tool....my EMP is an heirloom that I will proudly pass down to my son.

Purse carry? Seriously not a good idea!!! I would discourage this at all costs! Of course, it's better than nothing......but think about it. What's a bad guy usually go after first in an attack on a woman? The purse. Unless the victim has plenty advance warning, which most of the time it doesn't happen that way, a gun in the purse is useless and can even be used against her. Or, the gun can be stolen and used to hurt someone else. My best advice to you would be to plead with her to not carry her gun in her purse. There are lots of different options for carrying concealed on your person....and lots of other threads that deal with that subject so I won't go into it here. So, let's get back to gun choice. Ok, Revolvers are out since she is not interested in going that route. (Too bad, because the lightweight snubbies are a terrific choice, especially for beginners.) So let's see what we got here. You want to get her something that she's comfortable shooting and that's a powerful enough caliber for self defense. It should also be small and light enough for her to be able to carry it comfortably. Something in the $500 to $700 range. Gotcha. These are the guns that come to mind: Glock 26, Spingfield XD in a subcompact 9mm, M&P subcompact 9mm, Kahr PM9, and the Kel-Tec PF9. 9mm is easily managable as far as recoil goes, and is also a very respectable caliber for self defense purposes. 9mm ammo is not too expensive, so she'll be able to practice more without draining the pocketbook in the process. I would try to find a range that rents these guns and let her handle and shoot them before she makes her final decision. If she can't shoot them first, at least let her handle them all to see which one feels best and points more naturally for her. Good luck! Let us know what you end up buying for her!

AK's are great fun! But I sure wouldn't want a pink one!!! I love the Yugo Underfolders and the Hungarian AMD-65 Sidefolders!

Now don't get too attached to that M&P Memphis! I don't think your girlfriend would be very happy with you....unless you get her another one of course! Yes, I'm a big fan of belly bands. A big advantage when using a belly band is that you don't have to dress around them. You could be wearing anything from a dress to a pants suit to jeans and a blouse, to shorts and a t-shirt......and be completely, comfortably, and securely concealed in all of them.